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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25696822">Coming full circle</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingcreature/pseuds/writingcreature'>writingcreature</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Warzone/Paradise Chronicles [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hawaii Five-0 (2010)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Banter, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares, nightly talks</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 07:53:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,633</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25696822</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingcreature/pseuds/writingcreature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>This story was inspired by Alex's interview on the S10 DVD where he says that his first idea was that Steve should have killed Doris and a weird nightly intermezzo I experienced myself. It is going to be very dark but no worries, it is not as bad as it sounds. I just toyed around with some ideas. Loosely based on the events of episode 10.22 and 10.07. Canon divergence! And what was planned as a one-shot has got another chapter. Thanks for your encouragement, dear readers.</p><p>  <a href="http://mycoven.net/index.php?seite=display&amp;img=i545bhgl4u"></a><br/></p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Steve McGarrett &amp; Danny "Danno" Williams, Steve McGarrett/Danny "Danno" Williams</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Warzone/Paradise Chronicles [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/483914</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>91</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Steve entered Danny’s room with a smile on his face. Only, he’d put on the smile like other people would switch on a light.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Hi buddy, how are you?” he greeted his friend.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Instead of waiting for a reply, he shook his head immediately. “Stupid me. Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked. I think you’re not feeling differently than just a few hours ago when I left.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Steve took the uncomfortable looking chair that didn’t just look that way and sat down next to Danny’s bed.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Carefully, he took Danny’s hand in his and caressed the back of it with his thumb.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Good news, buddy. We busted Daiyu Mei’s sorry ass and those of her goons. Her whole world imploded yesterday evening. That was the reason I couldn’t be with you. I’m sorry.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Steve seemed to swallow the last words. The guilt weighed heavy on his shoulders. When they finally got hold of Daiyu Mei yesterday, Adam had to hold him back not to shoot her point-blank.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>A smile crossed his features briefly. Above all people, Adam was talking some sense into him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“The bitch is now at Halawa and will hopefully never see the light of day, Danno. I hope she’ll rot in solitary confinement.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He squeezed his friend’s hand briefly and realized how cold it felt.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You’re freezing, buddy? Shall I get you another blanket? No? You’re fine the way you are? Okay.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“So, how was your day?” Steve asked, partly trying to humor himself in this messy situation.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Danny’s face was severely bruised, not to mention the rest of his maltreated body.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Totally forgot to tell you greetings from the kids, Quinn, Adam, and Lou.”They would have loved to join me, but I think the doctors and the nurses of the ICU ward wouldn’t have been so amused. Also, Luke dropped by this morning with his daughter. She is applying for the job as a secretary at the major’s office. He looked very proud. He also sends you his …”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The lump in Steve’s throat was about to choke him. He couldn’t keep up with the conversation.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I’m sorry buddy, I am so sorry,” he whispered. His voice was stifled with tears.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He put his head on Danny’s hand and started sobbing uncontrollably. This was so much harder than he’d thought.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Seriously? Whom was he kidding? He was thankful for being alone with Danny in this room. Thankful because he could let down his guard. Steve had barely kept it together for the past few days. He’d been driven by hunting down Daiyu Mei. Now that he and the rest of the team had shattered her realm, and the rush of adrenaline subsided with every minute ticking by, he just felt hollow. The void he felt threatened to consume him. Steve had barely slept. About two hours at best. Eddie had been at his side the whole time. He felt that his handler was in a sinister mood, so, he’d put his head onto Steve’s lap and waited for a proper behind-the-ear scratch. In vain.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Absentmindedly, Steve stroked his loyal companion’s head as he sat helplessly on the couch and surrendered to the pain that was spreading from within. Steve had fought enough. He had given everything to realize that, in the end, it wasn’t enough after all.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>A few years ago, Danny had saved his life by giving him a part of his liver. He wished he could return the favor now. But that was impossible.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Steve remembered sitting in the hospital chapel, begging God for Danny’s life. But God seemed deaf to him. Was it because he never went to church? Was it because he only asked him for help when he had no other way out? Or was it because he had taken Doris’s life instead of leaving it to some lousy CIA double agent?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He hadn’t known what he could be capable of concerning his mother until she had taken a little boy hostage and holed herself up in a dreary motel room. Doris had lost all sense of reality. Steve had tried to talk to her. However, that made things even worse. She disowned him, said he was lying, and that he wasn’t her son because her son was with her. Steve could hear the little boy’s sobbing—his desperate cries for help. It hurt so fucking bad when your mother didn’t know you anymore and treated you like a fucking stranger, while she was screaming at you to leave her and her little boy alone. God only knew how he wanted to do her that favor, but he couldn’t. Doris’s condition had deteriorated more and more after the nervous breakdown. She had fallen into a veritable paranoia. He could not blame her for that either. No matter how hard he tried to hate her, he couldn’t and wouldn’t. Even if the woman in there was only his mother in appearance, he was her flesh and blood, too. By nightfall, they decided to storm the motel room. A blitz attack was all that was left because Doris would not come out voluntarily, let alone surrender. She was too much trapped in her own world.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The captain of the SWAT team had assured him that nothing would happen to the boy. Steve was told to be patient and stay put. He was also told that he was too emotionally involved, as this was, after all, about his mother. But Steve ignored all of this. He switched to SEAL mode, as Danny had often called it when it was about making arrests at full risk. Only, this wasn’t about anyone. But that shouldn’t matter as Steve would finish it. He owed that to himself and Doris.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>As Steve was acting on auto-pilot, so to speak, he barely remembered what went down after they used tear gas and flashbangs to storm the motel room. Doris was crouched next to the bed, her body protecting the little boy. As soon as Steve reached out to her and his fingertips brushed her blouse, she looked up at him. Madness glowed in her eyes like a bonfire on a dark night. In an instant, she pulled out the gun she had been hiding. But she was too slow as Steve put a bullet right between her eyes before she could make a move and ended his mother’s misery. Her lifeless body toppled over in front of him. Even the hardened members of the SWAT team were amazed at Steve’s cold-bloodedness. He didn’t have much time to think, because at that moment all that mattered was to carry the little boy outside and put him back in the arms of his desperate mother. At least one family had been successfully reunited that night.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>A soft knock tore Steve from his thoughts, and the familiar face of Dr. Ahe Kala showed up in the doorframe. Steve’s heart dropped. He knew what this was all about. With tears in his eyes, he got up from the chair and left Danny’s side. His feet felt like lead when he went over to shake hands with Kala.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Even the doctor was moved when he said, “It is time, Steve. Time to let your friend go. The latest test results show that there is no more brain activity. The only thing that keeps Detective Williams alive while his body is shutting down bit by bit is the machines. I am so sorry. I wished there was something I could do…” The doctor’s voice trailed off.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Steve thought, “You have no idea how much I rely to you.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Together they walked over to the machine. Its beeping and blinking made everyone believe that the person in front of them was still alive. But as soon as Dr. Kala switched it off, Danny also stopped breathing. A ghostly silence filled the room. Steve’s pent-up emotions swept over him like a torrent, threatening to crush him. He looked for support at the headboard of the bed. Even the doctor supported him, worried that Steve’s legs would give way under the weight of grief.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>All this happened only a few days ago, although, for Steve, it felt like an eternity. Now he was standing in the funeral home together with Quinn, Tani, and Lou while Adam and Junior waited outside together with officers from HPD who wanted to pay their last respects to Danny.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Steve remembered the day he’d met Detective Danny Williams, Danno. He remembered how this guy came into his life like a whirlwind and turned everything upside down. He remembered their first cases and how their invisible bond grew stronger over the years. Steve remembered the good times, as well as the shit they went through. It was a movie flashing in front of his inner eye. Steve remembered Danny’s contagious laugh, quick wit, and big heart.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Even after the horrible plane crash that erased Danny’s family and left him as the sole survivor of the William’s clan, Danny kept his head up high. Though he was no longer laughing as much and often felt lost in thoughts, he was still having the back of his friend and the other team members.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The undertaker rolled the solid oak-colored coffin past McGarrett when Steve asked to be left alone with Danny for a moment. Steve knew that it would be their last moment alone together; the final moment before Steve would bring Danny back home to Jersey to reunite him with his family. Steve felt that his life had come, somehow, full circle. He started his job with Danny at his side about ten years ago. Steve had always thought it would be him who would kick the bucket long before his friend. Or, given Danny’s visions, they would grow old together, dwelling in memories about their cases, while Danny’s grandchildren would run around the garden and fill Steve’s crib with life.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Never in his life, Steve would have thought that he would have to stand in front of Danny’s coffin and tell him goodbye one day. Never in his life, Steve would have thought he would spend the rest of it alone. And though he wasn’t ready to leave everything behind, he knew he had to. He owed it to Danny, the best friend he’d ever had, and his only true love. Steve felt the little velvet box in his coat pocket. The ring that had been inside was now on Danny’s finger and would be buried with him. Actually, there should have been a big wedding when they closed the case. Instead, there was a funeral.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Steve had shed so many tears the past few days that it felt like none were left. He put one hand on the coffin, bent down, and left a final, gentle kiss on the top of the closed lid.</em>
</p><p>12345</p><p>Steve woke with a blow. Darkness surrounded him. Jesus fucking Christ, what the hell was that? Desperately, he reached over to the other side, where he felt Danny’s body.</p><p>He shook him gently. “Danny? Danny?”</p><p>As there was no reply, he shook him harder. “Danno, Danno!”</p><p>The blond stirred in his sleep and awoke slowly. Still drowsy, he turned around to meet Steve’s gaze—more or less, because Danny still refused to open his eyes.</p><p>“Babe, are you fucking nuts? What the hell is the matter with you?” Danny mumbled.</p><p>“You… you have no idea, Danno. You’re the greatest blessing I have ever had in my life; I wouldn’t want anyone to take you away. I love you so much.”</p><p>Now Danny got suspicious and propped himself up on his elbow, yawning.</p><p>“Gonna tell me what this is all about?” he asked. His voice was still sleepy and gruff and sexy as hell.</p><p>“Oh, nothing. Nothing,” Steve tried to reassure him a bit too fast. “Going to take a leak, ’kay?”</p><p>Before Steve could roll away, Danny snagged him with one strong arm and pulled him back against his chest.</p><p>“Don’t you dare go anywhere,” he whispered into Steve’s ear. Steve felt the hot breath of his lover ghosting over his skin. Steve knew he could escape easily with a gentle shove or roll. Danny’s grasp wasn’t binding; it was merely persuasive. Heavy, warm, and comfortable. Steve gave in and laid his head on the pillow, staring away from Danny while the blond held him close and started showering him with tiny kisses from his ear down to his neck.</p><p>“I dreamed that you died,” Steve blurted out.</p><p>Danny stopped what he was doing immediately and sat up straight, throwing a confused glance over his shoulder. Slowly, his eyes adjusted to the dim-lit room as the moonlight tried to find a way through the blinds.</p><p>“Come again,” was all that Danny could muster. He kept staring at Steve’s naked body, partly covered by one of the crumpled sheets.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Thanks a lot to my readers, who inspired me to take a deeper dive into this night with our favorite couple with your inspiring, encouraging comments! Also, thank you for having my back so I can have yours.  It means a lot to me and my muse to be so welcomed.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was a humid night. The full moon was high in the sky. The sea was troubled, like Steve, who was still dealing with the aftermath of his nightmare. He was sitting on the veranda landing wearing nothing but a pair of jeans cut off at the knees. He was staring out at the sea when Danny, now wearing a pair of boxers, joined him with two longboards in his hand and sat down next to him. Wordlessly he pressed a bottle into Steve's hand. They toasted each other and then took a long draught of their beers at the same time.</p><p>"I thought you would come back to bed after your bathroom visit," said Danny.</p><p>Steve didn't answer him. Instead, he took another sip from the bottle and kept staring out to the sea.</p><p>Danny made another attempt, "If you want, we can talk about your nightmare or whatever it was. I'm all ears. Judging by your desperate voice, it must have been horrifying."</p><p>Was Danny mistaken, or did Steve have tears in his eyes? When his friend's chin started to quiver, he knew. Steve quickly wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.</p><p>Danny's voice lost all humor and became tender, "Hey babe, talk to me."</p><p>Gently, he put his arm around Steve's shoulders and pulled him close. Tall, dark, and gloomy gave in and leaned against his partner. It was so damn good to feel Danny's body, warm and alive. He thought back to the hospital scenario in his dream with shivers. Danny's hand had been cold and lifeless there.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Danny," Steve's words were barely audible. "I'm sorry. Back at the hospital, when I was sitting by your side... I thought I was gonna lose you. I would have given anything to switch places with you."</p><p>Danny took a sip from the bottle. A smile lit up his face. "There's no way I would ever let you spoil the fun," he quipped. "A few more scars would do me good. It makes me feel badass."</p><p>Steve sat up and looked at Danny, "You know you're crazy, don't you? How can you still joke about all this? You almost died. I held you in my arms while the blood seeped out of you and with it your life. I… I could feel it."</p><p>Danny gave him a skeptical side-eye with knitted brows, "Aren't you being overly dramatic, Steven?"</p><p>He couldn't tell what it was, but something concerning Steve rubbed Danny the wrong way. His man was definitely way out of his comfort zone. Danny was uncertain if he should keep drilling or let it be.</p><p>'<em>Best would be to empty the bottle with one long gulp and then head into the kitchen to maintain the supply</em>,' Danny thought.</p><p>It was like Steve read his mind when he said, "I'm sorry, I'm not myself tonight. Not after this nightmare. It recalled all the unpleasant memories I've kept buried deep down inside of me. Everything's swept to the surface. Every gory detail." Steve's voice broke. He teared up.</p><p>Hastily, he tried to take another sip from the bottle that was already drained.</p><p>"I think the two of us could use some more. I'll go." Danny reached for the empty Longboard in Steve's hand.</p><p>On his way into the kitchen, Danny hummed a melody off-key, not even sure if it was part of an actual song. He did it on purpose because he wanted Steve to realize, there was enough room for whatever gloomy thoughts were hunting him. And that he didn't need to talk about it here and now.</p><p>And Steve? He was thankful for it. He loved how they communicated without words. Often looks were enough or just the presence or, in this case, the other one's absence. Their bond had grown so strong over the past few months. Only, that was another thing that made Steve worry.</p><p>He'd lost so many people who were dear to him that it would shred his heart into pieces if he lost Danny. After he woke from his horrifying dream, Steve's heart had been in his throat, and he had escaped a panic attack by the skin of his teeth. He didn't even care to think about it. To put it in a nutshell, Steve McGarrett was a mess.</p><p>And with all these unfortunate memories resurfacing, the mess grew bigger and bigger. His fear of losing Danny grew bigger.</p><p>As if on cue, the blond with his tousled hair and a huge yawn appeared next to Steve and sat down before he put one of the two chilled bottles of beer in his hand.</p><p>"Danny, you need some sleep," Steve said after taking the beer from his friend, thankfully, "I'm okay."</p><p>"No, you're not," Danny countered. "You're a lousy actor and an even worse liar. It's written all over your face that something is eating away at you like cancer. Wanna spit it out, or would you rather choke on it?"</p><p>This snarky remark drew at least a grunt from his partner and, after a while, made him talk.</p><p>'<em>Mission accomplished</em>,' Danny thought, a bit proud of himself. Convincing Steve to talk often felt like pulling teeth.</p><p>The dark-haired man cleared his throat before he rose to speak. His voice was still a bit "rusty" from emotion, especially as Steve kept it low. Almost like he feared someone could overhear them.</p><p>But it was his uncertainty that had him talking that way.</p><p>"Remember the day when we got buried under tons of debris in that fucking garage?" Steve asked.</p><p>"How could I forget that, with that nasty scar on my side you like to examine all the time like you just discovered a rare antique pattern," Danny quipped, trying to hold the conversation at a lighter level because he knew it would go dark anyway at a certain point.</p><p>Again, it worked because Steve's voice grew a bit louder when he replied, "You have to admit, it doesn't look like an average scar."</p><p>"Only because the doctor was sloppy or had a bad day when he stitched me up." For a brief moment, time stood still, and Danny and Steve smiled at each other.</p><p>The moment withered away when another wave of not-so-good memories overcame Steve.</p><p>"Anyway," Steve went on. "You remember the different stages of feelings you were going through. Especially because your claustrophobia always accompanied you."</p><p>"That's an interesting take on events," Danny interrupted him. "I haven't any clue where this is going, but keep on with it."</p><p>Again, Steve cleared his throat before he kept on talking, "I seem to lose control of my… my thoughts. You know? I have flashbacks a lot. And this nightmare I just had… It felt like the dam finally broke."</p><p>"You mean this one was the closest you ever came to a panic attack?"</p><p>Steve's head jerked in his friend's direction, "How could you know that? I mean, I never mentioned…"</p><p>Danny put the bottle on the stairs, so his hands were free to emphasize his words. "I would be the shittiest detective on the planet if I hadn't picked up on it."</p><p>"But, but you never said a word, not once," Steve was baffled.</p><p>"You mean, I could have pulled a stupid joke about it rather than ignore it? Well, Babe, I'm not into compounding your already crappy mental state," Danny explained. "I've seen you struggling, yes. However, it was not on me to call you out on it. From my point of view, panic attacks are not controllable. Which is something a control freak like you will hate, and adjusting to it can be tricky."</p><p>Steve didn't miss the little smile on Danny's lips, and he loved him for being not dead serious about this, which kept their conversation on a more comfortable level even though the topic scared the shit out of the ex-Navy-SEAL.</p><p>When Danny looked at him expectantly and stopped talking, Steve nodded slowly, "Yeah, I thought that this whole control freak thing would become a major issue one day…"</p><p>Both listened to the incoming waves crashing on the shore. The minutes ticked by, and Steve started feeling uncomfortable. After a stretch, he asked, "So, are you going to show me some breathing exercises or other tactics to overcome a panic attack?"</p><p>Danny used his index finger to point at himself, "Who me? God no. All I can do is pray that you and I aren't having one at the same time. That would be pretty embarrassing for everyone involved."</p><p>Steve cracked up and spat the gulp of beer he had in his mouth across the lawn.</p><p>"Table manners, babe, table manners," Danny reminded him, fighting against the laughing fit that would hit him at any moment.</p><p>'<em>Okay</em>,' Danny thought, '<em>Mission accomplished, crisis averted</em>.'</p><p>Only Steve wasn't done yet. After both of them regained their composure, which seemed to be a hopeless task at first, Steve was back to brooding.</p><p>"Come on, Babe. Don't do that to me," Danny complained.</p><p>"Don't do what?"</p><p>"Gimme that aneurysm face of yours. I thought we were done with it, Steven."</p><p>Steve lowered his gaze.</p><p>When he started to talk, Danny had to inch closer because Steve's voice was barely audible. Never a good sign. When their thighs brushed, Danny felt a warm tingling racing down his spine into his groin. A feeling he wanted to devour, only the words that came out of Steve's mouth felt as if someone had just emptied a bucket of ice water over his head.</p><p>"When I found you there, lying in your blood, my heart was in my throat, my stomach on the ground. I thought I would go insane. And the weeks you were in limbo, and the doctors couldn't tell me if you were gonna make it or not… I can't lose you too, Danno. I can't. Not after all I… we've been through."</p><p>Steve drew in a shaky breath. Danny curled a hand around Steve's neck and leaned his forehead against his friend's temple, inhaling the smell that had become his favorite in the world.</p><p>"I won't lie. This has, of course, the potential to blow your life apart," Danny said, trying to hide the anxiety in his voice. "But Steve, do me a favor and stop listening to those monsters in your head. Don't let them win."</p><p>Then Danny pressed his lips to Steve's temple, his warm breath bathing Steve's skin and soul.</p><p>"I can't promise to fix all your problems, but I can promise you won't have to face them alone. We have this special bond between us, and I feel it as much as you do. Believe me, when I say, I am also scared to lose all this one day."</p><p>Danny withdrew his hand from Steve's neck and leaned back. Steve's eyes swung Danny's way. Memories his body and his heart wanted to relive washed over him. These emotions were so different from the ones he'd experienced after he woke from his nightmare. Steve wondered if they were strong enough to keep his anxiety at bay. Every fiber in his body was yearning for Danny. They shared a bed but hadn't slept with each other since Danny's return from the hospital. Steve had been too scared he could hurt him. And then there was the guilt that was weighing him down, as well.</p><p>Danny hated the forlorn look on Steve's face. He caressed the lines away with his fingertips, and Steve's eyes fluttered close under the gentle touch. He nuzzled Danny's palm.</p><p>"Babe," Danny whispered hoarsely. It took everything Steve had not to lean forward and kiss this painful sound away. Instead, he took Danny's smaller hand and kissed his knuckles. In unison, they lifted their heads. Their gazes met, and Steve bared the burning hunger and the blinding fear that held him back as it almost paralyzed him.</p><p>"Talk to me, Steven. Tell me we're in this together. We've come that far. Don't let things slip away because of a damn nightmare," Danny pleaded.</p><p>Steve was torn. He'd reached his emotional limit. On the one hand, he didn't want to give up what they had. On the other, he wasn't sure what he wanted at all. So, Steve settled for silence and allowed himself the indulgence of kissing Danny's palm. One last intimacy before he got up and went back into the house before he drowned.</p><p>Danny's first impulse was to jump to his feet and follow Steve. But he fought it, took the beer bottles, went around the house and put them in the trash can. Carefully, not wanting to wake the neighbors. The cat that jumped out of its hiding place at the same time almost gave him a heart attack.</p><p>"Fucking cat," Danny hissed, "I know why I love dogs."</p><p>Suddenly he was aware that he missed Eddie. Junior had taken the dog with him to his training camp. They wouldn't return for the next few weeks or even a month.</p><p>Steve lay in bed, his hands clasped behind his head, and stared a hole into the darkness. He wanted to kick himself in the butt for being so selfish and leaving Danny alone at the landing only because he couldn't get a grip on his emotions on this more than wild roller coaster ride.</p><p>Admittedly his friend had read him like an open book. Yes, he had lost control. This last case had thrown him off track. And the harder he tried to regain control of his life, the worse things got. Maybe he and Danny should go on a vacation for a few weeks. Even thinking about it was absurd as he couldn't remember when they'd been abroad together the last time that had not been job-related.</p><p>"Are you done with your orgy of self-destruction, or should I go for a few more laps around the island on my bike?"</p><p>Danny's soft voice jolted Steve back into reality.</p><p>"Don't look at me like I stole your G.I. Joe lunchbox," Danny quipped.</p><p>Steve propped himself on his elbows and couldn't help but grin.</p><p>"My G.I. Joe lunchbox, huh. What makes you think I had one?"</p><p>Danny shrugged and suggested, "My Cop instincts? Oh, do you have any idea where I left my handcuffs?"</p><p>Steve frowned, "No. But talking about a G.I. Joe lunchbox and bringing up your handcuffs is a stretch. Any plans for tonight I should be aware of?"</p><p>Danny acted shocked, "Me, never. Charlie needs them for school. They have a project that's called: bring along something authentic from your parent's job. First, he asked me for my gun…"</p><p>Steve's body jerked, then shook, before he broke into laughter. "Nice try, partner," he gasped in between. "You almost got me."</p><p>Danny rolled his eyes and muttered, "Fuck me," as he fell onto the bed next to Steve. And Steve fell with him, in more ways than one.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>The End</strong>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>It happened last week that my friend woke me in the middle of the night desperately. I knew something was off. The next day he told me that he'd dreamed that I died. I was sleeping like a log that night and it really took him some time to wake me. I felt so sorry for him. Aside from Alex's Interview, this nightly event caused my muse to go into overdrive.<br/>Here is the link to Alex's s10 final interview https://vimeo.com/442465216 (copy-paste).</p></blockquote></div></div>
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